So there I was, at yet another conference in Detroit, listening to nearly 200 amazing millennials (“young folk”) scheme about creative ways to “save” the City. Sitting on a panel featuring young entrepreneurs in Detroit was Amy Kaherl, the founder of Detroit Soup. She began explaining what SOUP is, “five dollars gets you soup, salad, bread & a vote”. My ears instantly perked up, “a vote?” I thought. She went on to explain that at each dinner four people working on projects that benefit the community present their proposals to the attendees at the dinner. Over dinner, the diners cast their vote for the project they want to help fund. All the votes are tallied & the winner walks home with the money that was collected at the door. As Detroit is making its comeback, Detroit SOUP events have made a huge impact by raising $55,000 that has gone directly to community projects. Although I never made it to a Detroit SOUP event, this idea stuck with me—all the way across the Country.

In August, 2013, I made the trek from Michigan to Oregon, ready to explore & use my passion to help communities. I was accepted into the RARE AmeriCorps program (Resource Assistance for Rural Environments) through the University of Oregon. It is an 11 month program that sends people all throughout rural areas in Oregon to work on projects that benefit the community. Though my placement was all but rural (based in Portland), I had the opportunity to visit many rural areas in Oregon, most of which were suffering from the loss of the logging industry. These rural communities are redefining themselves, much like the rust-belt communities that I love back in Michigan. Attending events in rural Oregon and being a part of RARE has allowed me to see where the opportunity lies.

Still keeping the Detroit SOUP idea in the back of my head, I began to scheme a way to connect this concept to increase social capital in the rural areas in Oregon. That’s when it clicked. People in Oregon love food–not just any food—but locally-sourced food; food that was grown at a local farm or in their community garden. Organizations (and other RARE AmeriCorps members) are researching community food systems; others are trying to link farmers to the market. I decided to morph the SOUP concept into a locally-sourced community dinner- where farmers/gardeners are donating food. Playing around with the name, I came up with Funding Oregon Over Dinner (FOOD).

Funding Oregon Over Dinner’s mission is to promote community development through crowd- funding, resource- sharing, collaboration and creativity. FOOD strives to encourage conversation and build healthy relationships while supporting positive community projects and organizations in Oregon.

Funding Oregon Over Dinner is a micro-granting, locally- sourced dinner supporting positive, creative projects in specific regions in Oregon. At each dinner, attendees pay a $5 suggested donation to receive soup, salad, bread and a vote and hear three presenters ranging from art, social justice, food justice, education, etc. Each presenter has 3 minutes to share their idea and answer 3 questions from the audience. At the event, attendees eat, talk, share resources and vote on which project they think benefits the community most. At the end of the night, we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all of the money raised to carry out their project. Winners come back to a future dinner to report their projects progress.

Our first dinner will feature projects in the Coast Fork area–SW Lane County, Creswell, and Cottage Grove. It will be on August 24th, 2014 at 4:00 at My Brothers’ Farm (84674 Cloverdale Rd, Creswell). Most of the food at the dinner will have been grown by the farmers at the farm-myself included! Presentations will start at 4:00, dinner will be served at 5:00, and winners will be announced by 6:00. If you or someone you know lives, works & plays in the area, send them to our website: fundingoregonoverdinner.org. The link to submit a proposal is on the website (proposals are due August 17th). Please note: Grantees are not limited to a specific sector. Individuals, non-profits, small businesses, etc. are all encouraged to apply. Proposal selection is based on potential impact to the community, and the completeness and quality of the proposal.

As I move forward with this dream, I realize that I cannot do it alone! If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail me at fundingoregonoverdinner@gmail.com or visit fundingoregonoverdinner.org for more information and regular updates.

About the Author: Maia Hardy received her Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Non-Profit Management from Eastern Michigan University. In her last few months as a student, Maia was as the Ypsilanti Representative for the Millennial Mayors Congress where she met with elected officials and civil leaders to discuss pertinent and pressing issues facing the Detroit-metro region. Realizing her passion for planning and community development, Maia decided to dedicate herself to serving communities in need, making her a perfect fit for the RARE AmeriCorps Program.  Maia is placed with the Multnomah County Land Use & Transportation Planning Division.